Roofing connector plate



July 6, 1965 B. JONES lIl ROOFING CONNECTOR PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1962 H H I mmvroa Lee B. Jones II! By Semmes & 8mm

ATTORNEYS July 6, 1965 B. JONES 111 3,192,670 RQQFING' commc'ron PLATE Filed June 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

FIG.4 Lee B. Jones 111 8070 1. & Semmqs United States Patent Lee B.

The present invention relates to means for connecting corresponding juxtaposed sections of roofing materials known as roof edge; eave drip; roof and window drip; gravel stop including both open and closed types, These connectors for roof edging materials ensure against leakage at the joining of their sections and the connectors also preserve correlative aligned positioning of corresponding ends of the sections, forming thereby a smooth, sub stantially invisible joint.

Whereas a great deal of inventive effort has been directed to providing eave line structures which are free from deterioration, known roof edging and building cornices generally comprise lapped sections, requiring additional weatherproofing at the joint. The known art, lapped as it is, presents an unsightly appearance, whereby the respective roof edging or eave drip sections may be inclined to warp and separate, presenting problems of leakage and subsequent repair effort in the maintenance of the sheathing, facia and rafters beneath.

With these deficiencies in mind, the present means of connecting the sections has been devised with troughs or drain grooves therein to trap and drain off moisture or leakage through the joining of respective roof edgings, gravel stop, or like sections. This invention comprises a means for locking such sections throughout their entire contiguous ends. The connector is generally installed beneath the roof edging or the like whereby a practically invisible joint between corresponding sections of edging may be created at the exposed eave. Of significance is the fact that the face of the roof edging, eave drip or gravel stop may now be held substantially rigid against the roof structure without nails or stapling.

It is an objective of invention therefore, to provide means for connecting corresponding sections of roof edging and the like whereby the wood sheathing and structural members of the roof may be protected from water damage caused by seepage at the joints.

It is a further objective of invention to provide a connector system for roof edging sections and the like in which said sections abut one another at ends, in a substantially invisible practical joint, said sections being locked against warping both transversely and vertically, while simultaneously held against the roof structure members at the face thereof.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of roof construction embodying the invention, a portion of which is viewed in fragment;

FIG. 2 is a view of the invention in perspective, showing utility of the connector as applied to corresponding sections of eave drip which are shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the invention in fragment;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the invention installed in the building construction shown in FIG. 1.

Connector plate 1% appears in each of FIGS. 1 through 4 inclusive. The connector is preferably formed from a semi-rigid blank of sheet steel.

In practice it has been found desirable to fabricate the connector plate from prime quality, tight coat galvanized steel, a material which is generally used in the manufacture of common eave drip roof edge and gravel stop finishing sections. Copper, Zinc or aluminum would also serve the purpose. Normally, the longitudinal dimension of the connector plate Iii-ii will exceed a vertical crosssection thereof.

In detail, the connector includes a top Mt) which is adapted to rest immediately adjacent roofing felt or the like. The corresponding inner surface of top normally rests on the immediately contiguous roof sheathing can. The front panel is designated by the numeral 114, being joined to the top 116 by the receding segment 116, the iower end of the panel 114 terminating in a flange 118 which is bent outwardly, corresponding to the configuration shown in the eave drip 156 (see FIG. 4). The rear of the connector plate 120 is illustrated in FIG. 3, the same being bent at 122 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. At the free end of rear segment 12%, the forward bend 124- terminates in the flange which is designated by the reference numeral 118.

With especial reference to FIG. 2, plural water traps 13th or channel depressions are depicted extending from front to rear of the connector plate 1%, the water traps being substantially uninterrupted at the point of bending 132. It will be observed that the depressions forming the water traps 139 are substantially continuous from end to end, fore and aft of the connector plate. The rear face 12% of the connector plate includes plural convex protrusions forming the principal frictional contact of the connector plate with roof sheathing at the top and providing spaced frictional contact of the connector plate to the forward end of the roof sheathing 2%. These convex protrusions actually form channels or grooves which are uniquely adapted to contain seepage such as may occur at junction of the eave drip sections 1555 and 159' or related joint and to form therewith a water sluiceway ensuring a free and unimpeded passage of such seepage from the eave drip joint 152 between connector plate and eave drip to the hemmed edge of the throw-out 154.

In practice, the flange 118 of the connector plate lies in fitting relationship to the throwout of the eave drip and it is confined adjacent thereto by the hemmed edge of the eave drip as at 54. Its forward end is spaced from that portion of the hemmed edge which is bent upon itself permitting thereby accumulations of channeled water to feed into the trough of the hemmed edge, thereafter draining away from the throwout, at the junction of respective eave drip segments 154i and 159.

Not entirely apparent from the drawings is the additional feature of the connector plate in retaining the corresponding segments of either eave drip or roof edging in perfect alignment without overlapping. This is made possible by reason of the nesting characteristic of the connector plate within the sections. This is best shown in FIG. 4.

Whereas the invention has been described and illustrated with especial reference to means for joining corresponding sections of eave drip, it is apparent that its scope includes utility as a connector for related roofing materials including: gravel stop, roof edge, roof and window drip, the configurations of which may vary accordingly. The invention encompasses the variant configuration adapted to such materials and is restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A connector plate for interconnecting roof edging strips comprising:

an elongated blank having a plurality of substantially flat surfaces alternately dispersed transversely of said blank and spaced by a plurality of parallel intermediate depressed surfaces, said connector plate being uniformly longitudinally bent thereby defining:

a horizontal top portion, adapted to be positioned on sheathing adjacent a roof edge,

a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion extending from a longitudinal edge of said top portion,

a vertical front panel extending downwardly from a lower edge of said inclined portion, and

earns a bottom flange extending outwardly and downwardly from a lower edge of said front panel.

2. In building constructions having roof sheathing and roofing materials covering the sheathing, the combination comprising:

plural roof edging strips contiguous with each other,

overlying said sheathing and extending outwardly therefrom to an outward edge and extending generally downward from said outward edge, said roof edging having mutually abutting edges;

connector plate underlying said strips adjacent said mutually abutting edges and engaging said strips for interconnecting said roof edging strips, said connector plate comprising:

an elongated blank having a plurality of substantially fiat surfaces alternately disposed transversely of said blank and spaced by a plurality of parallel inter mediate depressed surfaces, said connector plate being uniformly longitudinally bent thereby defining:

a horizontal top portion positioned on sheathing 20 adjacent a roof edge,

a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion extending from a longitudinal edge of said top portion,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Schlafly 189850 X Shirley 50202 Audet 50-66 Young 5066 Dawson 50-69 X Cheney 5066 Waring 50-456 T'iernan 5066 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, EARL I. WlTMER, Examiners. 

1. A CONNECTOR PLATE FOR INTERCONNECTING ROOF EDGING STRIPS COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED BLANK HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACES ALTERNATELY DISPERSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BLANK AND SPACED BY A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL INTERMEDIATE DEPRESSED SURFACES, SAID CONNECTOR PLATE BEING UNIFORMLY LONGITUDINALLY BENT THEREBY DEFINING: A HORIZONTAL TOP PORTION, ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON SHEATHING ADJACENT A ROOF EDGE, A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY INCLINED PORTION EXTENDING FROM A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID TOP PORTION, A VERTICAL FRONT PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM A LOWER EDGE OF SAID INCLINED PORTION, AND A BOTTOM FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM A LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT PANEL. 